This document discusses health education methods and materials. It begins by outlining common health education methods such as lectures, group discussions, demonstrations, role-playing, and using traditional media. It then describes different types of information, education and communication (IEC) materials including printed materials like posters, flipcharts and leaflets. The document provides guidance on the content, purpose and proper use of these materials to effectively convey health messages to target audiences.

1. Health Education Methods
and Materials
By: Abraham Tamirat (BSc, MPH)
Email: abrishntamirat@gmail.com
Jimma University ,College of Health Science
1By :ATG(BSc,MPH)12/8/2015

2. Outline
What is health education method?
Common health education methods
Information Education Communication (IEC)
materials/Health Learning Materials (HLMs)
Common IEC materials
Production of IEC materials
2By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

3. Learning outcomes
At the end of this session, you will be able to,
 Differentiate method and materials
 Describe common health education methods
 Discuss common IEC materials
 Identify steps of IEC production
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4. Health Education Methods
 Methods refers to ways through which
messages are conveyed to achieve a desired
behavioral changes in a target audience.
 In health education it is not enough to decide
what will be done; by whom and when, we
also need to decide how it will be done
(methods).
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5. Common teaching method in health
education
Informal methods
1. Health talk
2. Lecture
3. Brainstorming
4. Group discussion
5. Buzz group
discussion
6. Demonstration
7. Role play
8. Drama
9. Case studies
10. Traditional media 5
Formal methods
1. Conference
2. workshop
3. Seminar
4. Panel discussion
5. Symposium
Common health education methods
By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

6. 1. Health talks
 When talks are on health
agenda we call it health
talks.
 It is the most natural way
of communicating with
people to share health
knowledge and facts.
 Can be conducted with one
person or with a family or
group of people or through
mass communication
6By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

7. 2. Lecture
 It is oral, simple, quick
and traditional way of
presentation of the
subject matter.
 Presents factual
material in direct,
logical manner
 Economical
 In most cases audience
is passive
7By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

8. Forms of lecture
• Teacher is the only speaker
Traditional
lecture
• Begins with learner
brainstorming and use pause in
between
Participatory
lectures
• Mini lectures followed by small
group discussion, it gives
opportunity to manipulate lecture
content
Feedback
lecture
• Use of media such as films,
slides along with traditional
methods
Mediated
lecture
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9. 3. Group discussion
 The participants have equal
chance to express freely and
exchange ideas
 The subject of discussion is
taken up and shared equally
by all the members of the
group.
 It is collective thinking
process to solve problems.
 Extremely useful in health
education
9By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

10. Group D…
Strengths
 Pools ideas and experiences from group
 Effective after a presentation, film or experience
that needs to be analyzed
 allows everyone to participate in an active process
Limitations
 Not practical with more than 20 people
 Few people can dominate
 Others may not participate
 Time consuming
10By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

11. 4. Buzz group
 A large group is divided
into small group, of not
more than 10 or 12 people
in each small group and
they have given a time to
discuss the problem.
 Then, the whole group is
reconvened and the
reporters of the small
groups will report their
findings and
recommendation
11By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

12. 5. Brainstorming
 Instead of discussing the problem at great length the
participants encouraged to make a list in a short
period of time all the ideas that come to their mind
regarding the problems without discussing among
themselves
 Is a means of eliciting from the participants their
ideas and solution on health issues.
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13. Brainstorming…
Strengths
 Allows creative thinking for new ideas
 Encourages full participation because all ideas
equally recorded
 Draws on group's knowledge and experience
Limitations
 If not facilitated well, criticism and evaluation
may occur
13By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

14. 6. Demonstration
 “Showing how is
better than telling
how.”
 Although basically
focuses on
practice/skill it
involves theoretical
teaching as well.
Chinese proverb;
 If I hear, I forget
 If I see, I remember
14By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

15. Demonstration …
Note that,
 You remember 20% of what you hear
 You remember 50% of what you hear and
see
 You remember 90% of what you hear, see
and do and with repetition close to 100% is
remembered.
15By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

16. Demonstration …
 Demonstration can be used with individuals and
small groups.
 If the group is too large, members will not get a
chance to practice the skills and ask questions.
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17. 7. Role-play
 A type of drama in a simplified manner. It
portrays expected behavior of people.
 A role-play is a spontaneous and/or
unrehearsed acting out of real-life situations. A
script is not necessary.
 It is a very direct way of learning; you are
given a role or character and have to think and
speak immediately with out detailed planning.
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18. Role play….
 Few minutes for instruction and 5-10
minutes for them to plan & think
 A role play should last about 20 minutes.
 Allow another 20-30 minutes for
discussion
 People can better understand their
problem and the behavior associated
with the problem 18By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

19. 8. Drama
 Drama is a presentation, in which the subject
matter or topic is studied well either written or
in words, and then presented in educative and
recreating manner.
 Needs detail planning and script development ,
practicing
19By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

20. Drama…
Audiences identify with characters and
settings
 In a serial drama, for example, if the
characters and settings are familiar to
audiences, they can identify with the
situations, and feelings of the characters .
 Drama is very effective in behavior change
communication
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21. Many dramas portray positive, negative, and
transitional role models.
 Positive characters: model healthy values
and behavior, and they are rewarded.
 Negative characters: model unhealthy
behavior and antisocial values, and they
suffer as a result.
 Transitional characters: representing the
audience, are uncertain at first about which
behavior to adopt.
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22. 9. Case study
Case Study: is an in-depth analysis of
real or simulated problems that help
audiences to identify problems and
suggest solutions according to their own
contexts.
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23. 11. Traditional media
1) Poems
2) Songs
3) Proverbs
4) Dances with songs
5) Fable
6) Games
7) Stories
8) Town criers etc.
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24. Traditional media …
Traditional Medias are useful for the following
reasons
 They are realistic and based on the daily lives of
local people
 They can communicate attitudes, beliefs, values and
feelings in powerful ways.
 They can motivate people to change behavior.
 They can show ways to solve problems.
 Usually they are very interesting.
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25. Selection methods for health education
• Consider the following things before choosing
health education methods.
1. How ready and able are people to change?
2. Your ‘learning’ objectives.
3. How many people are involved?
4. Is the method appropriate to the local culture?
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26. 4. What resources are available?
5. What mixture of methods is needed?
6. Subject matter
7. Limitations of time
8. What methods fit the characteristics of the
target group?
26
Selection ….
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27. Note that
 It is important thing to remember that effective
health education is seldom achieved through the
use of one method alone.
 The best method of teaching combines the
various methods
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28. Scientific methods
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29. 2.Formal methods-Scientific methods
1. Seminar:
 A seminar is a lecture or presentation
delivered to an audience on a particular topic
or set of topics that are educational in nature.
 Seminars are educational events
 It is usually held for groups of 10-50
individuals for about an hour though usually
not in practice.
29By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

30. Formal methods…
2. workshop
 is a period of discussion and practical work on
a particular subject in which a group of people
share their knowledge and experiences.
 It is a series of educational and work sessions
(where manual work is done).
 Small groups of people meet together over a
short period of time to concentrate on a defined
area of concern.
30By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

31. Formal methods…
 It also means a group working together,
on a creative project, discussing a topic, or
studying a subject.
 Workshops tend to be more intense than
seminars.
31By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

32. Formal methods …
3. Symposium
 is typically a more formal or academic
gathering, featuring multiple experts
delivering short presentations on a particular
topic.
 It is an academic in nature where experts
(academicians ) present their views on a
particular theme.
 Eg. JU annual research symposium
32By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

33. Formal methods…
4. Conference: Conference refers to meeting for
lectures of discussion where representative of
various stakeholders participate.
 Conference has a far broader spectrum of
meaning than the other three (seminar,
workshop, symposium ).
 Not limited to academic activities only; beyond
academic where many diverse participants
participate
33By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

34. Scientific methods…
5. Panel discussion: is a meeting where
experts (two or more) are invited to make
short presentation or speak on different
aspect of the same subject area or theme.
 Eg. Theme-mental health in Ethiopia.
Expert1: history of mental health in Ethiopia
Exeprt2: Mental health and health policy
Expert3 :Future of mental health
34By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

36. HLM…
 Health learning materials: are those teaching
aids which give information and instruction
about health specifically directed to a clearly
defined group of audience.
 HP programs rely on them
 Are considered cross cutting issue for public
health interventions nowadays.
37By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

37. Role of IEC materials in behavior change
communication
 Can speak to the people without the presence of
communicator.
 It serves as transferring of health message or acts as
channel to carry a message to target audiences.
 Can enhance the understanding, the credibility and
the believability of health message.
 It can remind the public the message they can
received from different sources.
38By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

38. Role…
 It can motivate the public to seek for further
information.
 Some IEC materials serve as means of
delivering health message on very sensitive
issues. For example, leaflets
39By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

39. Health Learning Materials (HLMs)
There are four types of health learning
materials:
1. Printed HLMs
2. Visual HLMs
3. Audio HLMs
4. Audio-visual HLMs
40By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

40. 1. Printed health learning materials
 It is the production of multiple copies of an
original image usually using ink pressed on to
paper.
 It involves the exchange of facts, ideas, and
opinions through a written instrument
/materials.
 It can be used as a medium in its own right or
as support for other kinds of media.
41By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

41. Print materials ….
 Example of print IEC materials
1. Poster
2. flipcharts
3. leaflets
4. booklets
5. cards
6. News paper etc.
42By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

42. Poster
 Poster is a large
sheet of paper
ranging in size
from large bill
boards to small
notices.
43
• But often it has
a size of 40cm
wide and 60cm
high.
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43. Poster ..
A poster consists
of ;
 words and
 pictures or
symbols that
include a
message on it.
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44. Content of poster
 All words in a
poster should be in
language the
community
understand or in
two languages.
 The words should
be few and simple
to understand
slogan -contain a
maximum of 7
words.
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45. content …
 The symbols/
picture used
should be
understood
irrespective of
educational
status.
46
Asendabo HC
By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

46. content…
 Put only one idea on a poster.
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47. content…
 The poster should encourage practice-
action oriented.
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48. content…
 It is better to use life picture if possible.
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49. content …
The picture/message should not be out of reality
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50. 51
The synchronize between the text and picture
and color should be eye catching
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51.  Posters should
contain the
following
information
 The year of
publication
 The place
 The
sponsoring
organization
52By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

52. Purpose of posters
• To reinforce/remind a message the public is
receiving through other channels.
• To give information and advice. E.g. learn more
about malaria!
• To give directions and instructions for actions.
E.g. a poster about malaria prevention methods.
• To announce important events and programs. E.g.
World Malaria Day.
53By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

53. Poster storage and utilization
• Store poster in safe place
• Post them in a place where many people can see
them when passing by (e.g. market places, meeting
halls, etc.)
• Ask permission before putting poster on a house or
building.
• Use as teaching aid to support your communication
• Never put posters on sacred or worshipping places.
• Do not leave a poster up for long time.
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54. Misused poster, jimma zone, HCs
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55. Misused poster, Jimma zone, HCs
56By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

56. Flip chart
• Are a series of pictures
that are bound together,
usually at the top, and can
be turned over by the
educator.
• A flip chart is made up of
a number of posters on a
related subject that are
shown one after the other.
• Are good to present
several steps or aspects of
a central topic
57By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

57. Flip charts …
Purpose
• To give information and instructions
Content
• There should be a single separate idea on a
chart.
• The arrangement should follow a logical
order.
• Five is a good number of charts to put in a
flip chart
58By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

58. Flip chart…
59By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

59. Leaflet or flyer (handbill)
 Leaflet or flyer is usually a short, often urgent,
written message printed on just one side of
single a standard weight paper.
 Once there are more than five sheets it is
common to use the term ‘booklets’.
60By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

60. Brochure
 A brochure is a glorified/modified leaflet.
 It is still a single sheet of paper but it's longer,
folded up in ½ or 1/3 and printed on both sides.
 It can explain things in more detail. It is useful for
long-term use and is less likely to be thrown away.
 We can fit more material into a brochure.
 Leaflet and brochures are the most common way of
using print media in health education.
61By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

61. Purpose of flyers and brochures
 They are useful reinforcement for individual and
group sessions
 Serve as a reminder of the main points that you
have made.
 They are also helpful for sensitive subjects.
 Can provide people with enough basic
information to encourage them to ask for more.
62By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

62. Leaflet/brochures …
 The content of the leaflet/brochures should
CARE
 C be clear – have something to say and say it
 A be accurate – aim at precise
 R make it readable – use familiar words, and
active verbs
 E have empathy – never forget that you are
writing for another person
63By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

63. 2. Visual health learning materials
• Include something seen, for example models, real
objects, and photographs.
• Written words are not included under visuals.
• Visuals are one of the strongest methods of
communicating messages, especially where literacy
status is low.
64By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

64. Visuals ….
Real objects
 Are just that-real. If your display is on
‘family planning methods’, you would display
real IUDs, pills, condoms, diaphragms, and
foams.
65By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

65. Models
 Are three dimensional objects which look
like the real objects.
 Models might be used for 3 reasons:
1. If the real objects are not available
2. If the real object is too big to display.
3. If the real object is too small to be seen
easily.
66By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

66. Model might be used for 3 reason:
1. If the real objects
are not available.
2. If the real object is too small
to be seen easily.
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67

67. .
3. If the real object is too big to display.
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68. 3. Audio Health Learning Materials
 Includes any thing heard such as spoken word,
health talk, music, sound, etc.
 Radio and audio cassettes are common audio
aids.
 They are easily forgotten.
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69.  Radio is a very powerful tool because no other mass
media reaches more people than radio.
 Radio can reinforce the advice that people receive
through other channels.
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70. 4. Audio visual Health Learning Material
 Audio visuals are multi-sensory materials- combine
both seeing and listening
 They convey messages with high motivational appeals.
 It show real life situation and enter-taniable.
 These materials include TV, projected materials, films
or videos,
71By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

71. IEC material production
 The success and impact of IEC materials depends
largely on the understanding of the target
audience.
 How? Audiences analysis
Audiences analysis based on the problem
characteristics of each audience
audience’s stage of behavior change
 barriers to behavior change
key influencers
 Furthermore, the nature of the problem and media
analysis is important
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72. Steps in IEC materials production
 Six steps should be followed
Step 1: Selecting the most appropriate IEC
materials
 Types (strength, weakness, compatibility/the
message to be conveyed [content], cost of
production and distribution of IEC)
 Audience (preferences and characteristics, and
knowledge or literacy level and attitudes/stage of
behavior change)
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73. Steps…
 But, how? Audience and media research
◦ Observations: social gatherings, health settings
where IEC materials might be used.
◦ Observe how people react to the materials, and
how they interact with each other concerning the
materials)
◦ IDI and FGD (extensive probing with key
informants)
◦ Media survey (preferences, coverage, media
habits) 74By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

74. Production…
Step 2: Developing a Creative Brief (CB)
 To identify what would be the best IEC materials to be used,
and before beginning the actual design of IEC materials
 CB: presents the core message/big idea and include target
audience, objectives, obstacles, advice [key message] and
support statements [reasons], tone of the messages, and
other creative considerations such as different language
versions or social conditions.
 CB serves as a map or guidebook between the IEC material
development team and the "creative people", those who will
draft the scripts, design the posters and prepare display75By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

75. Production…
 Step 3: Preparing draft of IEC materials (or
adapting existing materials)
 Adapting saves time and money- provided that "not reinvent the
wheel”. Please consider the following points,
 Does the material selected fit the audience's learning style (i.e.
oral, written, audio, visual, or audiovisual)?
 Is the content limited to no more than a few concepts?
 Are concepts and messages presented in a simple and
organized manner?
 Are appropriate, culturally specific values and beliefs
represented?
 Are visuals, photographs, and images culturally relevant?
 Do visuals, photographs, and images correspond with the
message in a way that is clear to the target audience?
 Is text written or narrated at an appropriate comprehension
level?
76By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

76. production…
Step 4 Pretesting of the draft IEC materials
 help determine whether the material and message is
acceptable to the intended target audience
 People see, hear, and interpret messages according
to their various backgrounds, education, and
knowledge (perception!).
 So, pretesting on representative/members of target
audience will help you revise them
 Pretesting of draft IEC material ensures that the
material is "right" from the audience's perspective.
 What to test? Understanding, acceptance,
attractiveness (attention), involvement (message is
directed toward them), inducement action etc
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77. Production…
Step 5.Asses pretest results and revise
 It is safe to assume that if 70 percent of the target
audience understands message, would consider taking
the action recommended, and finds the IEC material
attractive, acceptable, and believable, then the
materials are successful-go ahead! Otherwise, if no,
 Is there a clear rejection of the material? If so, why?
 Is there a general consensus that the material is ugly,
culturally insensitive? If so, why?
 Is there a gross incomprehension of words, of a specific
drawing, symbol? Which ones? Why? If so, which can
be changed according to the suggestions given?
 The change may be the form, content of IEC materials
78By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

78. Production…
Step 6. Monitoring the use and impact
 Monitoring refers to the review and supervision of
distribution and usage activities.
 Findings are used to improve distribution systems,
the use of materials by health workers, and the
future design of materials.
 Monitoring is a tool to identify and correct problems
early enough to make changes and maximize the
impact of the IEC materials.
79By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

79. Characteristic of effective IEC materials
 Create a distinct look and personality — Effective IEC
materials are vivid, having an appealing personality.
 Messages and design all must speak with the same voice —
in design, color, text and narrative.
 Stress the most compelling benefit. address real needs
and problems facing the target audience.
 Generate trust. Credible and believable images, and a
solid information foundation.
 Appeal to both the heart and the head. A decision on the
part of the target audience to try something new is not made
entirely in the mind — trials are often decided in part by an
emotional response.
 Thus, effective IEC materials and messages should be
designed to appeal to both the heart or emotions, and the
head or reason. 80By :ATG(BSc,MPH)

80. References
1. Getnet M. Health education lecture note for health
sciences students. Addis Ababa, community health
department.2003
2. Shabbir Ismail, Health education lecture note for MPH
students.deparment of community health, AAU,2003. 3.
3. Alemneh cherinet,guide line on development of production
and distribution of HLM,health education
center,FMOH,may, 2000.
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81. 82
Readers are
Tomorrow's Leaders!!
By :ATG(BSc,MPH)